My Great Escape

I'm addicted.  My drug, a good book.

Walk of Ideas, Berlin-Mitte, photo by Lienhard Schulz

I think I spent at least seventy-five percent of 2015 in the hospital. That is a truly depressing realization, but it did give me quite a bit of time to either read or listen to numerous novels. As with all things, there were good books, bad books and downright awful books. I enjoy reading fiction. I find good fiction to be consuming. I can immerse myself in pages of suspense, blood chilling horror or heart rending passion, or anything else that strikes my fancy.

Good books have always been my way of escaping the harsh realities and uncertainties of life. I'm not saying this method is right or wrong; it's just saying how I deal with stress. Boss a royal pain that day. I nice murder mystery is on the menu for the night. And the first person to get bludgeoned, stabbed, or shot? Sorry boss man, glad to see you go! Postman left my package on the porch in the pouring rain. Oh no! He got mauled and eaten by a werewolf! For those few hours, between the pages of a good book, my problematic world does not exist.

My hope for 2016 is to inhabit a hospital less, while reading more. As for my own books, dying or not, they well be released in 2016. I have a plan this time. It's called an assistant.

Below are a few, not just good books, but fantastic books I have enjoyed this past year. Maybe you will like reading them too. I will review no more than two or three good books in each post.

Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

This trilogy is a gem I discovered while browsing Amazon one day. The first five chapters of the first book, Shadow and Bone were being offered for free. All the reviews were good, which prompted me to download it. The first chapters hooked me as a few of the pivotal characters are introduced and they enter "The Fold". Believe me, you will want to know what that is. The feelings of fear, unrequited love, overwhelming exhaustion and confusion, expressed by Alina Starkov, are easily conveyed to the reader.  Within an hour, I was downloading the whole Grisha Trilogy via Overdrive from my local library.

The Grisha Trilogy has is all. A war, monsters, spies, an all powerful villain and a love story (or maybe two?). The author, Leigh Bardugo, creates a world that you can not only see in your mind's eye but also feel. The cold and brightness of the snow will have you drawing your sweater closer to you. Your fingers can almost stroke the richness and colors of the kafkas the Grisha proudly wear. And the treatment of the Grisha by the warring factions will leave you outraged and hoping they make it to Ravka. The plight of the protagonist, Alina Starkov will leave you breathless. I love a good book that not only will place their characters in jeopardy, but is not afraid to take that precarious step and eradicate characters we have come to know and may like. Characters who do more than exist in the periphery of the story. The antagonist, The Darkling, in spite his name, is not all darkness. Even when his actions are beyond the pale, it's hard to dislike him because we are made to understand what drives him. A few times as the story unfolds, I found myself hoping the Darkling and Alina wound up together. I thought the union would give the Darkling the balance he was lacking. 

I have read this trilogy several times now. It never seems to grow tiresome. I'd definitely recommend the Grisha Trilogy to one and all.

The Talented Saga by Sophie Davis

The Talented Saga by Sophie Davis

Sophie Davis is actually a writing duo.  Their combined talents have spun stories that have your adrenaline running on high octane.

The Talented Saga is much like peeling an onion.  The more you read, the more layers get pulled back.  The pace is on target.  Not so slow it drags or so fast it leaves you behind scratching your head because you don't know what happened.  At the time of this post, book number six, Inescapable is scheduled to be released in the June.

The dystopian saga follows the exploitation of Talia Lyons, a mind manipulator.  Yes, there are an overwhelming number of books involving girls who can manipulate minds.  I myself have read many.  The Talented Saga runs with the head of the pack.  In another post we will discuss the other good books in that category.

Talia Lyons' world, as she knows it, comes into question when she learns the people she loves and trusts may not be worthy of either sentiment.  If that isn't bad enough, she soon finds out that she is more important to her organization than she was lead to believe.  As her knowledge expands, her allegiance changes, but how do you fight a government agency with cart blanche, very deep pockets and a long reach?  Talia and her friends find a way, though the cost is rather steep.

I love the characters.  In the later part of the saga, Talia flounders in emotional turmoil which made me wish one of the other characters, namely Erik, would just smack her.  I can understand the reason for her quick, almost violent, flashes of anger, restlessness, jealousy and even despondency.  However, Talia's character had been strong, resourceful and intelligent up until that point.  It makes the reader step back and remember, through everything that has happened, Talia is still a teenager.  She's entitled to her meltdown.  Fortunately, it doesn't last long.

This is another series/saga that I have read several times.  I think you have to, if you want to understand the nuances of Ian Crane, and the lengths he is willing to go to create the ultimate...   Ah, ah. ah...you have to read the books to find out.

The Talented Saga, is a real page turner.  The first book, Talented, is free.  You should download a copy today and step into Talia's world.